I’m a former Solo Mom with two teenagers, and after marrying my partner of four years, added three more teenagers to the family! Professionally, I’m an artist, as in painter, published poet, speaker, facilitator, and advocate for healing and empowerment. I believe very strongly in the tremendous capacity art has for healing, as both art and writing have helped me overcome traumatic experiences in my own life. I’ve spent the last decade as a trauma-informed facilitator, leading book-group discussions and poetry and art workshops in various settings. In 2013, I founded Heal! Empower! Motivate!—a nonprofit with an emphasis on creative writing and art for the purpose of healing domestic violence victims. I spent nearly six years doing similar work with at-risk youth in Chicago high schools. In 2015, I published my first poetry collection, Butterfly Spirit. Currently, I run a small business, Soul Revival Healing Arts. What drives me is a burning desire to be a contributor to the world’s healing. I want everyone to know that healing is possible.

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